Pattern Samples and Bracelet

I’m up to to Chapter Nine inPolymer Clay Color Explorations, “Exploring Pattern and Texture in Your Colors.” The first exercise entails making 3 x 3 inch polymer clay pattern swatches based on your collage and using them as veneers in a bracelet.

I made lots of color washed sheets and ended up not using most of them. I did use the one you see above which is also embellished with simple canes like the ones you see below.

There aren’t many patterns in my collage except for the hobnail style pottery and the pattern on the seahorses. I didn’t have much to imitate, so I spent a lot of time auditioning checkerboard patterns, cut out shapes and randomly applied pattens. I stuck with the random patterns and shapes. When I tried to get too precise, my work ended up looking sloppy.

Simple canes on solid backgrounds

Since I used random patterns, my bracelet is different on each side. I would not normally make this style bracelet, but I found it an excellent design to use for learning how to combine different patterns and color combinations into a cohesive piece using my color collage as a starting point. It was fun to make the swatches and try different combinations.